NEW DELHI, April 10 (TIWN): PM Narendra Modi indicated to legislature party leaders that the lockdown may have to stay in place beyond April 14 given the state of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Modi told the floor leaders of political parties in Parliament that several state governments, district administrations and experts have asked for an extension of the lockdown, likening the situation to a “national” and “social emergency.” The three-week lockdown is scheduled to end o ..

“I have been speaking to chief ministers and district collectors… the common refrain is that it is not easy to lift the lockdown,” the prime minister said. “We need to be strict in implementing social distancing norms. So be it lifting or extending the lockdown, the general mood is that it will not be possible to lift the lockdown at once.”

Modi has called another meeting of all chief ministers on April 11 for consultations, after which the Centre could take a final decision on the lockdown.

“He (Modi) said that the priority of the government is saving each and every life,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a release.